How to save a lonesome polecat
by IttsyBitsyB
Summary: There was much more than just one dance between the kidnapping, tricks, love and marriage. How love blooms over a long dark winter. The story of the brothers and their brides with a focus on Frank and Sarah. Slow Burn to eventual M rating
1. Chapter 1

The day started as a perfect shining summer morning. Bird song and soft early morning light drifted over the wooden sill of the little window. Old white embroidered curtains, swayed gently in the breeze as the girl wrapped up in the small bed finally stated to stir. Just turned eighteen, she was almost too long for the little bed. Pale little feet end up arching up and off the end as she slowly stretched out. Blinking open her blue eyes, she could not have said for sure if she was still in a dream or waking in that moment. As sleep crept away, sudden as a gunshot she remembered that this was the dawn of a long await day. The Mitchell's barn raising with its party, dancing and socializing was finally here!

Sarah Kine exploded out of bed. Covers thrown back, she rolled out of bed and slid round the small room to see her masterpiece. The yellow gingham dress hanging on the wardrobe was just finished last night. Sarah ran her hand down the full skirt, pulling it out just a bit. She had made it with enough extra fabric that it would spin full and wide on the dance floor. The dress was plain enough to please Pa, pretty enough to please Ma, and trim enough to show off her figure; not bad work at all she thought.

If only getting settled on a fiance would be as easy. Here in the Oregon territory, problem wasn't finding a fella, it was narrowing it down. There was ten men for every gal so landing a husband was as easy as saying yes. Why even Mary Rose got married last year! Few years older than Sarah and her friends, Mary was plain as a board and could not follow a thought for the all the gold in the territory. Still, she was young and said yes. That was really all that required to be a settled woman. Now she was married to the middle son of the Gilmore family. While Mary Rose wasn't a particular friend of hers, Sarah, as was her way, had been glad for Mary Rose's happiness at becoming Mrs. Gilmore. She was just as glad Arthur Gilmore was no longer a courting suitor, Sarah's toes might not have survived the next dance.

With a sigh that was little more than a puff of air, Sarah thought on her own courting suitors as she let the dress slip between her fingers. Figuring out the right feller for her and then getting her Ma and Pa to agree to him was harder then she'd expected. Sarah turned back to the low bed to pull out her soft brush from the little bedside table. Thumping back on the bed, she turned her face towards the breeze from the window. Slowly starting to brush through her thick dark hair, she started mulling her short but jam packed courting season this past year.

Her field was down to two main contenders, Carl Tillman and Danny Smith. Both were nice gentlemen from nice families, with nice prospects, who had in all their time courting had been, well, nice. Her hands drifted to a stop, the brush coming resting in her lap. She gently nibbled a bit on the left of her lower lip with a hint of frown across her brow. Wasn't that just exactly what a good and respectable girl like her was supposed to want? It's just, well, something small kept at her. Sarah could not quite shake the mite of a hot feeling deep in her gut that her nice gentleman weren't quite right. She had been ignoring it as best she could, but that little feeling was getting bolder.

Last Sunday, Carl had walked her home after church. While visiting there in the parlor with her family, he had made the rather bold hint that wouldn't it be nice to have just such a family gathering in future. Sarah remembered how queer she had felt looking up to see her Pa nodding happily along. Like a bolt of lightning shot through her, it left her just itching to run. The rest of the night had gone on forever as Sarah just smiled and nodded along as Carl and her father had debated what to do with the Kine north pasture next year. In the past week, she tried to distract herself from pulling those thoughts out and mulling them over much.

Sarah felt almost like that time she and Ruth were trying to get that apple cobbler recipe just right. Best bakers of all their friends but the two of them could not get that perfect balance of smooth tart sweetness for the filling. It took for what felt like forever, looking for that one ingredient when she couldn't even figure out how to describe was missing. With a small smile, she picked up the brush to finish, wishing if only the answer here was as simple as cornstarch.

The thought that kept creeping up on her was shouldn't there be more? She had tried to remain her normal practical self about marriage but still found herself yearning for maybe just a touch of passionate wild romance. Her dear friend Milly's whirlwind marriage to a backcountry woodsman just a few months ago had her reconsidering her suitors lately. She tried picturing Carl or Daniel as her romantic mountain man sweeping her away but that kept falling flat. Carl was too practical a man to fall in love with a girl just on seeing her. Sarah could about hear him asking why, who were her family and what inheritance was she due? Her long dark brown hair drifting softly around her pale face, she moved over to the little bowl and basin to begin washing up her face.

She thought on the happy joy on Alice's face describing the unexpected wedding of dear Milly. So romantic, Alice had called it. Milly one afternoon suddenly deciding that she'd found the man to love over a bowl of stew. Alice had giggled that the backwoodsman was so tall and handsome she could understand Milly's choice. Their friend Martha had been so scandalized at Alice, the rest of the girls at the quilting bee had all but fallen over laughing. Sarah couldn't imagine how handsome a gentleman would have to be to get her to fall in love and marry in an afternoon. The idea that there was a man who could inspire that kind of madness was a bit unnerving in its appeal. Of course, that such a man would even notice her was silly, what with her friends always catching the feller's eyes first.

Sarah knew she was a pretty girl, with her blue eyes, dark hair and clear pale skin. Her Pa always joked she looked like berries and cream, what with her bright cheeks against her pale face. Pretty, however, would often be missed standing next to beauties like golden haired Ruth or lovely Dorcas. Those two had been stopping men in their tracks with just a smile for years now. Then there was effervescent Liza, who had a knack for keeping all the boys laughing and dancing along. Sarah, perhaps the shyest of the friends, took it all her typical calm and patient stride. Her friends were next best thing to sisters; they weren't showboating or trying to steal the spotlight. As the fellers would always end up working around to asking her to dance eventually, there was nothing lost. That is what happened with Carl and Danny after all. The truth of it Sarah had to admit to herself, if no one else, was there been no man yet that made her mind not getting his attention first.

Loud thumps down the stairs as her three younger brothers bounced down to breakfast interrupted her reverie. The house was waking up and would soon be ready to get going. She knew that she had best hurry on getting ready. No more time for daydreaming, Sarah dried up her face and started quickly on her clothes. She wasn't going to miss a moment when there was a chance for dancing.


	2. Chapter 2

Folks out in the Oregon territory rarely had big town wide gathering unless there was a powerful good reason. Helping raise a neighbor's barn would top the list of reasons even with it being serious work and precious time away from fields and stock. It was expected good neighbors would be there to help and could expect the same in kind. Certainly, that is a respectable reason for a party. Even the serious work of raising the barn, with so many pitching in, well, that'd be almost as easy as the dancing. Folks expected they would be worn out and happy at the end of the day either way.

Sarah had helped her Pa and Ma load her three younger brothers, along with mountains of food and Pa's tools, into the family wagon right after breakfast. The boys had raced through the few chores needed around the farm like they were on fire. A whole day to be spent with friends and no more chores, running wild as adults socialized, had the children frantic with excitement. Sarah understood, feeling like only moments ago it was her in school house skirts and ribbons reveling in a summer day of freedom and picnics. She did her best to keep the boys well behaved on the ride but felt it was really just luck they didn't fall out of the wagon with all the excitement.

The Mitchell's farm was only about two miles outside of the town but the Kines wanted to arrive early like the other nearby town folk. Appearances were ever important. Sarah's brothers just about exploded out of the wagon before it had fully stilled. Racing off to find the other young boys, their mother admonished after them to behave and watch out for Will, the littlest. Sarah herself was barely out of the wagon before she heard an excited voice, "Sarah! You're the first one here!" Her dear friend Alice immediately enveloped Sarah into a big warm hug. The pretty little blonde was universally thought of as the sweetest girl anyone could find in the territory. Sarah had once teased her that she was born without a temper. Alice, in her happy way, said that she'd just never found anything worth being cross over for very long.

"Says the one's here first to greet me!" Sarah answered Alice warmly.

With a giggle and bright smile, Alice answered, "Oh you know what Daddy says! Takes too much time saying hello to everyone at once, might as well get there first!" It was an oft-repeated joke of Alice's father, the town's well-respected preacher, but the likely truth behind his family's reputation for punctuality. Right behind Alice was Ruth. The beautiful blond was quick to claim her hug hello from Sarah.

"Oh Sarah, the dress! It's just absolutely darling! It came out just right." Ruth gushed. Sarah could not help the shy smile and blush rolling over her cheeks. Ruth, ever the empathic kind friend, once again seemed to know exactly what her friend needed to hear.

Sarah holding Ruth's hand immediately answered, "I should be thanking you! You were right about the yellow in the first place. " Gripping the skirt, Sarah lifted it just a bit to show off the fullness as she continued, "I was so worried that it'd be …."

"Sarah, don't dawdle there." Mrs. Kine said steamrolling into the conversation. "Take these things over to Mrs. Ellcott at the tables over there. Hello there, girls. You all look lovely today. "

"Good Morning Mrs. Kine", Alice and Ruth answered in chorus. They took the basket and plates Mrs Kine carefully doled out. Matthew Hillman and two more of local fellas wandered by as the wagon emptied, tipping their hats to punctuate their flirtatious good mornings to all three of the girls. Arms full of food and cakes, the girls headed over to the large tables spread and ready for the picnic to come. Placing their load down carefully amidst the growing feast, Sarah took up the conversation her mother had interrupted. "Ruth, I'm so glad to see you. I thought you weren't going to make it? What with your Uncle Jeb feeling poorly and all, you'd said you were staying home."

Ruth gave a small shake of her soft curls replied, "I had given up on coming. But yesterday he went and asked Parson Ellcott if his family would escort me." Sarah immediately understood as young unmarried ladies simply do not go off without a proper chaperon to dances, even if just about the whole town was there. "I was worried to leave him on his own for the day. He's been so stiff lately. But he insisted he wouldn't have me missing the dancing and party just to sit around with his cranky 'ol coot of a self." There was just a tiniest touch of sadness in her voice that seemed to hint, maybe, that is what she would have preferred.

Ruth had come to town a lanky silent girl of ten years old, almost six months after losing her parents and siblings in a house fire. Her disrespectable and long widowed Uncle Jeb had driven back from meeting the train in Eugene one summer with her in tow. Absolutely scandalized the town's ladies that the gruff old man who'd been running the debauched tavern was now the sole guardian of this sad little girl child. Jeb had gone and proved them wrong, upending his tavern, home and life to best raise Ruth. The only family the two of them had in the world, Ruth was the apple of her Uncle's eye and he, her dear old coot. Sarah had heard her mother whispering to other ladies at church that it was good thing Ruth was such a biddable and gentle soul. Jeb would be letting her get away with any and all kinds of misbehavior otherwise.

"Well, I'm glad you're here. I must say we're all lucky your Uncle spoils you rotten and made sure you'd have fun today!" Sarah gently teased Ruth.

"Me too! Nothing better than having all of us together!" echoed Alice.

With a bright smile and her chin held high, Ruth said, "He does not spoil me! And if he did, it'd only be just the littlest bit!" After the laughter of the three girls settled, Ruth continued, "Really! But Sarah," her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper, "You and Carl had best not let Miles pester me again. I know Carl's your sweetheart but that brother of his, looks at me like I'm some prized steer. He's so terrible coarse! I'm not budging. He can court anyone he likes, but it won't be me!"

Sarah, feeling that odd little uncomfortable stir down in her belly again, did her best to answer lightly. "I'll do my best, Ruth. Can't speak for Carl as we've no understanding." Her friend's surprised expression had Sarah trying to quickly smooth everything over. "Carl hasn't asked me anything formal, you know."

"But Daddy was saying he heard you two were planning for a date before the year ends!" Alice whispered back, her face in a sweet little frown.

Ruth, one hand up over her mouth, rushed her words in over Alice's. "I'm sorry Sarah, I'd never have asked if I… just there was talk Carl was speaking to your father so I thought…"

Sarah quick as lightening tried to again reassure her friends, even as her stomach was bottoming out. With a wide smile, just a hair too hard to be honest, "Oh no, no. Don't either of you fret! I am not at all upset or worried. Just, I haven't come to any understanding with him. Least not yet. Who knows, I'm not even sure I'm settled on him." she added archly. So much gossip about a choice she hasn't made yet had Sarah feeling the twitch of nerves trembling about her chest and arms.

"Oh well, then, we'll still be our band of merry girls today, won't we? Just dance with whatever handsome man we might find! " Alice said brightly. Always looking at the best in people and situations, Alice's relentless enthusiasm was a balm to Sarah's nerves. "You might even met someone who charms you into running off to be married! Just like Milly! Would that be romantic?" Alice clapped her hands together beaming a smile at her friends at just the idea of such a grand romantic adventure.

Ruth and Sarah laughed along with Alice and agreed. At least, Sarah did her best to make a show of it. Too many corn huskings, dances and church socials had past lately in the same fashion for Sarah to believe there would be much difference in the conversation or company. Still the warm sunshine dripping down around the trees and the chatter of her friends had Sarah chiding herself to stop fussing. It wouldn't do to waste a good time worrying over Carl and if he had a place in her future.

Liza, bubbling with excitement and hugs for all her friends, was the next to arrive. Last were Dorcas and Martha with their families, rolling in like a matched set. Sarah drifted along with the happy chatter of her friends as they caught up on the plans and suitors expected that the day. Years of friendship had the conversations moving so quickly enough anyone walking by would have thought it in code. The party around them was off to a fair start even with folk still arriving. As the group was almost all the unattached respectable females in the town, the girls were again finding themselves the center of attention.

Sarah felt she couldn't turn around without someone else tipping their hat and offering their arm. At least until Carl had shown up and, with a proprietary air, claimed her full attention. As the gentlemen secured drinks, Martha, always proper but armed with a quick wit, whispered from behind Sarah, "I feel like I'm the only flower for a whole hive of bees today".

Dorcas answered in her soft drawl, "Wouldn't mind so much if it wasn't all the same bees!" Sarah couldn't stifle the laugh that followed. Dorcas, a singularly statuesque beauty, was not shy about being particular on what she wanted from a husband. Just about every eligible man in town had asked to walk her home from church but not a one had caught her attention. Dorcas not making a definitive choice on a suitor had disastrous result of the boys becoming absolute pests as of late. Either falling all over themselves like she was the last piece of cake or condescendingly pointing out how manly they were; as if Dorcas was just too dense to realize what a prize they were. Sarah suspected that a feller might only need to recognize that Dorcas was as clever as she was beautiful and Dorcas would be dragging him before the preacher so fast his feet wouldn't touch the ground. It be mighty convenient if such smart feller could also manage to fine looking and tall enough that she would have to actually look up for once.

Sarah watched as her two friend giggled away at their own wit with a gentle smile. She turned her face up into the sunlight dappling down around them, just to soak it in. It warmed her skin the same way the friendships of these few girls did for Sarah's heart. Looking around at her friend together, Sarah wished they all stayed this close the rest of their lives. The absence of Milly, the first friend to marry and move away, had given Sarah a glimpse at a future that seemed much lonelier.

"Wouldn't it just be perfect if Milly was here?" She asked aloud to everyone and no one in particular.

"Oh yes!" Alice answered. "It's so awful lonesome at home without her!"

"And our sewing bees are ever so much more fun with her there!" Liza added.

"We get so much more sewing done too," Dorcas said with a sly smile. Ruth and Sarah were quick with a token protest but Dorcas nipped that in the bud. "You two can say otherwise but you know you wouldn't have been working on your dresses that last minute if Milly was here!"

"Ok then, I surrender." Sarah said with a massive ridiculous sigh. "Milly could get God himself moving faster." The laughter of the girls was interrupted by the gentlemen in their pressed suit jackets, all serious looking greys and browns, coming back to request their first dances. Sarah almost didn't notice Dorcas asking, "Who are they? I haven't seen them before!"

Sarah looked over to see a wagon rolling in. Her eyes opened wide, this wagon was full to the brim with men! Standing tall, swaying along to the rhythm of the wagon as it rolled in, they were a sight. Every single one of them with bright red hair and well-made shirts all colors of the rainbow. The only woman was in a bright red gingham dress but Sarah could not make out her face what with her bright bonnet up.

"Seven of 'em!" came from Ruth.

"And all as tall as church steeples!" Martha gasped. The wagon finally stopped as the woman in front dropped her bonnet.

Alice suddenly and gleefully called out, "It's Milly!" It was like a shot to let loose the rest of them. Sarah was the first to dash off after Alice. She slipped out of Carl's hands in a flash. Excited to see her friend Milly, of course! At least, that is what she would have admitted if asked.


End file.
